bakubo wrote:I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you elaborate?

Henry,you started this thread by saying that there were a lot of A mount lenses out there, and the also talking about sharing components.

Maybe I read you wrong, but my reply is based on thinking that electronic components and design R&D can probably be shared between the mounts - you shouldn't need a whole new CPU just because the same/very similar sensor is in different bodies, even if one is E mount and one A. Granted, having electronic aperture instead may mean a different output signal goes to the lens, but in reality it's probably going from the CPU to a secondary component that's doing the actual activating. Likewise focus sensors could be shared, as well as other components.

The problem with the lens design, however, is that E mount lenses, with their very short flange distance, are more like rangefinder lenses that traditional SLR lenses in design. DK had a whole section on this somewhere that I'm too lazy to find!

Sony is a big, rich, company, but like all companies they want to keep costs down and make profits. If A mount becomes unprofitable, it will go bye-bye!

Dusty

For me the success of the E-mount, improves the chances of the A-mount staying alive. As cameras become increasingly electronic, both ranges of cameras can share the main (and expensive to develop) components. The A99ii and A7Rii(i) can /do/ will share sensors, shutters assemblies, Bionz processors, EVF, TFT screens, possibly the IBIS mechanism. The R&D costs of the A99ii were probably pretty small as it uses a mixture of present and future E-mount components and can probably make a profit on fairly small sales.

I was in a store here in Hiroshima this morning and they had the A77II for sale. I see it at pretty much all the camera stores in Japan. It certainly doesn't appear to be discontinued yet. I am not even sure what discontinued means with regards to a camera. Don't they usually build a big batch and then over a long period of time sell them? Maybe if they sell a ton more than they expect they have to put it back in production. Sony still sells the A77II on their website:

In an earlier post peterottaway said the A99II was still on backorder in Australia so I just wanted to mention that they are available here in Japan. Anyway, it certainly seems like a very nice camera. Although I still have my A700, A100, and 10 or more A-mount lenses packed away in storage in the States (none of them are high end lenses though) I have been enamored with the m4/3 compromise of small size/weight with good quality for the last 5 years. Works well for how I photograph. If I was still shooting with A-mount though then the A99II would certainly be something I would desire. Desire, but almost surely not buy though since I don't see spending that much for a body. It is overkill (speed, etc.) for me.

I'm not in the market for the A99 II as the A7r and A7r II are more than enough. But in the future I would like to add a A99 style A mount FF digital camera to my collection to supplement my A68 and my three film model 7 cameras.

Three may see excessive but I have added two extra bodies out of Japan at about USD 175 each to my original one that I purchased years ago. I can't see any company adding a new film camera to their product range so I'm just somewhat future proofing myself.

I am surprised that by now Sony has not covered the market for the A99 II more completely. Yes it would appear that Sony did not adequately estimate the demand, and they simply can't pick up the phone and say to their suppliers we need 5 times what we ordered and can we have it next week.

Well no sign of the A77III unless it makes an apperance next year. That leaves the aged A77II at a price that's near to it's initial release in 2014. the A68 budget one and the A99II. Still something is better than nothing, out of all the bodies I can't see anyone buying an A77II for that price, A99II is pricey at £3000.

Wonder if we'll go to 4/5 year cycles yet there are probably way too many E mount bodies around too. Can't say I'm tempted to buy anything else unless one body dies

Here in Japan when I go in a big Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera they still have Sony A-mount cameras, but they are almost hidden away on back displays. Of course, mirrorless Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, etc. get big, prominent displays. Sometimes Sigma cameras are even more prominent than Sony A-mount.